Sudan’s military chief, General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, says commanders in the war-torn city of el-Fasher made the decision to withdraw in order to spare civilians from what he described as systematic destruction and killing at the hands of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The remarks came as activists and humanitarian groups reported that RSF fighters seized a major army base — the final government stronghold in the western Darfur region — marking a significant turning point in a conflict that has devastated Sudan since April 2023.
Burhan vowed retaliation, accusing the paramilitary of committing crimes not only in el-Fasher, but across the country.